UAAP: FEU hammers UE, takes first win

MANILA, Philippines — World Junior Championships record holder Albert Ian Delos Santos secured the bronze medal in the men’s 70-kilogram (kg) weightlifting event at the 2026 Asian Games held at the Nagoya City Trade and Industry Centre in Japan.  The 20-year-old rising star registered a total lift of 324 kg, completing 154 kg in the snatch and 183 kg in the clean and jerk to land on the podium.

UAAP Season 89 Men’s Basketball Tournament Ateneo def. Adamson, 73-68 Jared Bahay Player of the Game #UAAPSeason89

Under the brightest lights of his young career, Albert Ian Delos Santos showed he belonged. The 20-year-old Delos Santos took home the bronze medal in the 2026 Asian Games men's 70kg weightlifting division on Saturday at the Nagoya City Trade and Industry Center in Japan.

MANILA, Philippines — Ateneo de Manila held off Adamson, 73-68, to bounce back in the UAAP Season 89 men's basketball tournament at the Mall of Asia Arena Saturday. Jared Bahay poured in 18 points including the insurance free throws in the last 11 seconds to lead the Blue Eagles, who recovered from their loss to the UP Fighting Maroons last Saturday. Bahay added six rebounds and five assists to his name while Travis Roberts aided him with 14 points and three rebounds. Ian Espinosa chipped in 10 points, three rebounds, and three assists for Ateneo, which rose to second place with a 2-1 slate as of posting time. Precious Jonah logged 17 points and eight rebounds for the Soaring Falcons, who dropped to 1-1.

Alexandra Eala and the rest of the Philippine tennis team will aim for medals at the 2026 Asian Games.

Carlo Paalam opened his redemption bid at the 2026 Asian Games with a 3-0 win over India's Jadumani Singh Mandengbam in the Round of 16 on Saturday at the Nishio Gymnasium in Japan.

MANILA, Philippines — 2020 Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Carlo Paalam kicked off his 2026 Asian Games campaign on a strong note, overcoming a spirited challenge from India’s Jadumani Singh Mandengbam via majority decision in the men’s 55-kg boxing event on Saturday at Nishio City in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.  With the hard-earned victory, the 28-year-old Filipino boxer stands just one win away from assuring himself of at least a bronze medal. The bout opened with the 22-year-old Indian pugilist taking early control of the ring and cornering Paalam.  However, with under 30 seconds left in the opening frame, Paalam showcased his veteran ring generalship by pivoting out of the corner and unleashing a series of punches to sweep the first round on all judges' scorecards. Mandengbam continued to press the action in the second round, causing Paalam to slip at the 1:43 mark.  Paalam quickly recovered and answered with a high volume of punches to take the second round on three of the five scorecards.  Facing a 0-2 deficit entering the final round, Mandengbam came out aggressively searching for a knockout, but the orthodox Filipino stayed patient, connecting with a left hook and timely jabs to defend his lead and seal the win.

MANILA, Philippines — Art Arbole’s confidence is soaring after finally ending a 14-year title drought – and for a change, he knows he won’t be sneaking up on anybody. The newly crowned ICTSI Negros Occidental Classic champion embraces the bullseye as the Philippine Golf Tour shifts to Iloilo, where he expects the Tour’s big guns, seasoned campaigners and emerging stars to come after him when the ICTSI Iloilo Golf Challenge gets going on Sept. 29 at the Iloilo Golf and Country Club. But Arbole says he is feeling more determined than nervous, buoyed by the belief that his breakthrough victory has finally erased the doubts that had lingered through years of near-misses. “Cloud 9 pa rin ang pakiramdam ko. Yung confidence ko mas tumaas kasi dati parang may takot ako na wala pa ding mangyayari sa laro ko,” said Arbole, who put together one of the most complete performances of his career in Negros. The Del Monte native, now based in Canlubang, bucked the odds in dramatic fashion, overcoming a shaky stretch that saw him surrender a one-stroke lead and fall three shots behind former Order of Merit winner Jhonnel Ababa. Instead of folding, Arbole responded with a birdie barrage from No. 9 that turned the tide and put him back in command. He then held off last year’s South Pacific leg winner Jeffren Lumbo in a thrilling stretch-run duel to claim his first PGT title. The manner of the victory may have been as significant as the breakthrough itself. Arbole’s driving was crisp, his iron play and woods were on point, and his putting held firm when the pressure mounted – all the pieces of his game finally clicking at the same time. Now comes the harder part: proving it was no one-week flash of brilliance. “Sana dito sa Iloilo, maging maganda pa din ang ipakita ko,” he said. That quest begins on a course that could demand an entirely different brand of golf. The former Santa Barbara layout is tight and tricky, much like Marapara, but its quirks and stern challenges can punish even the slightest lapse in concentration. It is the kind of venue that can test patience as much as shot-making, with the premium likely to be on precision, course management and the ability to stay composed when birdies are hard to come by. And this time, Arbole will have a much larger target on his back. Among those looking to derail his bid for back-to-back titles are Ababa, Tony Lascuña, Clyde Mondilla, Rupert Zaragosa, Reymon Jaraula, Guido van der Valk, Lumbo and Zanieboy Gialon. Gialon, in particular, returns to a venue where he has already left his mark, having dominated the last Iloilo Challenge in 2024. He won by six strokes over Angelo Que and Ira Alido. Que, meanwhile, will be eager to bounce back after settling for joint 13th in Negros. The reigning Order of Merit winner and a two-leg champion this season had entered the previous event with momentum after ruling the PGT stop at Summit Point, only to come away with a result below his usual lofty standards. The chase in the P2.5-million championship organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. and serving as the seventh leg of this year’s Tour is further deepened by Russell Bautista, Collin Wheeler, Michael Bibat, Dino Villanueva, Ryan Monsalve, Gabriel Manotoc, Arnold Villacencio, Elee Bisera, Kim Tae Soo, Nilo Salahog, Jay Bayron, Mars Pucay and Gerald Rosales. TMT

Filipino weightlifter Albert Ian Delos Santos was seen warming up and making his final preparations ahead of his highly anticipated men"s 70kg competition at the 20th Asian Games.

MANILA, Philippines — Bataan turned hot in the third quarter and beat Pasig City, 83-75, to book a playoff seat in the North Division of the SportsPlus MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) 2026 Season at the Camaya Events Play Center in Mariveles, Bataan. Trailing by as many as 11 points and still behind, 45-48, the Bataan Risers poured in 15 points while holding the Pasiguenos to just two to wrest control, 60-52, till the end. The Risers emerged as the seventh seed and will tackle the San Juan Knights, the No. 2 qualifiers, in the best-of-three quarterfinal playoffs. Joshua Galleno, a 6-foot-2 find from Olivarez College in Paranaque, posted 17 points, 4 rebounds and 3 steals to clinch the SportsPlus best player honors over Migs Corteza, a 6-foot-4 former College of St. Benilde Blazer, who contributed 18 points and 7 rebounds. Other Risers who delivered for Coach Myk Saguiguit were Nino Ibanez with 15 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists; Hubert Cani, with 8 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists; and homegrown Yves Sazon, with 6 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Pasig, which surged ahead, 31-20, drew 21 points, 12 rebounds and 2 assists from Joshua Galicia; 17 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists from Joshua Corpuz; and 14 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists from Warlo Batac. The Risers ruled the boards, 56-48, and exploited this advantage to outscore the Pasiguenos in the paint, 50-30. Pasig tumbled to a knockout match with Quezon City, which bested Valenzuela City, 76-71, in the first game for the eighth and last playoff slot in the North. The Quezon City Black Bulls held the Valenzuela Darkhorse to two points in the last 5 minutes and 3 seconds and came through with eight, the last three on free throws by Ryan Costelo, to extend their campaign this year Costelo pooled 13 points, 9 assists and 2 rebounds and was named the best player over Kobe Monje, who tallied a game-high 23 points and 7 rebounds. MJ Joson also shone for Quezon City with 11 points, 9 rebounds and 2 steals, followed by Jessie Sumoda, who tallied 10 points and 8 rebounds, despite getting blocked twice by Valenzuela's Lester Reyes down the stretch. Valenzuela cut short its stint this year despite Jay Collado's 15-point, 11-rebound, 4-assist effort, CJ Alattica's 15-point, 7-rebound and 2-assist output, and Geremy Robinson's 14 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists. Reyes finished with 12 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists for Valenzuela, which paid dearly for its dismal free-throw shooting, converting only 8 of 23 for 34.8 percent. The tournament plays at the Calapan City Coliseum for the first time on Monday, featuring the South Division play-in games between Zamboanga and Imus at 5 p.m., and Basilan and Mindoro at 7 p.m. The Mindoro-Basilan winner advances to the playoffs as the seventh qualifier, while the loser drops to a knockout match with the winner of the Zamboanga-Imus tussle. TMT

MANILA, Philippines — Model-influencer Chloe San Jose was once again in the stands to cheer on Carlos Yulo as he achieved a historic double-gold sweep at the 2026 Asian Games, following his iconic double-gold victory at the 2024 Paris Olympics.  After claiming the Philippines’ first gold on the floor exercise, Yulo dominated the vault competition with an average score of 14.599 points at the Nagoya City General Gymnasium (Rainbow Hall). San Jose shared giddily through the Philippine Olympic Committee that during his vault warm-up, she managed to catch his eye from the crowd and blew him a flying kiss.  She explained that while seating positions vary, she never misses an opportunity to offer her loving support whenever their eyes meet while he is on the field of play. Overwhelmed with emotion and immense pride following his wins, the supportive partner reflected on their journey together, attributing their success to faith and perseverance through every challenge they faced.  The couple first connected in April 2020 when San Jose reached out as a fan on social media, officially dating two months later before finally meeting in person at the 31st Southeast Asian Games in May 2022.

Follow along to Team Philippines campaign in the 2026 Asian Games for September 26, 2026.